Mall makeovers: Transforming New Jersey’s struggling shopping centers
Popular for weekend getaways, casual dates, and Christmas shopping, the suburban mall collapsed. Online shopping and anchor store closures impact NJ mall traffic, attitude, and emptiness. Lots of malls survive. To avoid the “retail apocalypse,” restorations, repurposing, and upgrades continue.
New Jersey mall developers are repurposing abandoned wings, department stores, and corridors as retail, housing, entertainment, and communal areas
Bridgewater Commons shines. A new owner bought the late 1980s-built 1.2 million-square-foot mall in 2023. Management announced an interior refurbishment through 2026. The food court, center court, lighting, décor, lounges, and kid-friendly portion will be restored to make the mall a hangout.
Malls go beyond sales. Former South Jersey mall Echelon Mall will become a mixed-use “town center.” At the former mall site, the municipality approved 200 townhouses, 100 affordable housing units, commercial and entertainment space, a parking garage, outdoor green areas, and an indoor community center.
Monmouth Mall closed after decades without major tenants. An outdoor mixed-use complex with shops, restaurants, and 1,000 new houses is being created near nature and public routes.
Anchor department stores and walkways are being added to late-20th-century malls countrywide. Enclosed malls face e-commerce, shifting customer behavior, and economic restraints. Malls countrywide may close by the early 2030s without reform, say experts.
Flexible mixed-use malls work. They plan to combine housing, entertainment, food, community space, and modern design for residential, recreational, and social attractions beyond retail.
In many “ghost malls,” renovation is possible. It can strengthen local economies, provide housing, and provide new gathering spaces. Developers can boost abandoned home values. Lively retail, dining, working, and recreation await residents.
New Jersey’s “mall makeovers” may adjust malls to changing shopping habits.
Sources
Coverage of Bridgewater Commons renovation
Reporting on Echelon Mall redevelopment in Voorhees, NJ
Reporting on Monmouth Mall transformation plan
National reports on U.S. mall closures and trends
